Nitro Cold Brew Cascading Effect – How Do You Get It?

Nitro cold brew coffee is known for its frothy texture with a cascading effect and sweet taste. But if you’re making nitro brew at home, how do you get the nitro cold brew cascading effect? Serving nitro coffee is tricky because nitrogen is a gas that is not easily soluble in liquids as opposed to other gasses like beer gas and CO2.

If you’re not getting the desired cascading effect, there are two ways you can solve this problem. Either invest in a kegerator (7coldbrew has an awesome subscription service) or you could try some of the techniques listed below.

How to Get Cascading Nitro Cold Brew Effect?

Getting the cascading effect on nitro coffee is hard, but once you figure out how it’s done, it will come naturally. Here are a few things to try if your coffee is not getting the effect you desired after you serve it.

The Serving Pressure is Important

Nitro coffee should always be dispensed at very high pressure. The ideal nitro cold brew psi should be around 35-45psi. This is because –

The higher serving pressure will help the coffee to properly infuse with the nitrogen gas.

Higher pressure also increases the effectiveness of the restrictor plate found in most stout faucets.

Use a Nitro Infuser

If you can’t invest in a kegerator, try your luck with a nitro infuser. It is a relatively new way to serve your coffee with nitrogen, giving it the similar effects that you usually see on nitro coffee served through a faucet.

But be aware, there are a lot of people who report that the amount of infusion that occurs this way is actually less. So try to use less coffee and less nitrogen for the best effect.

Try Your Luck with Cascade Keg Lid

Another way of getting the signature cascading effect of nitro brew coffee is by using a quick cascade keg lid. You’ll have to make sure that the nitrogen pipe is connected to this lid directly instead of infusing it afterward.

Coffee Grounds Could be in Your Keg

If you’re using a kegerator, make sure that your keg is free of coffee grounds. This can happen sometimes when you use the keg often. Stuck coffee grounds can block the flow which can restrict the coffee from coming out of the faucet with the desired effect.

Simply unscrew the top of the keg and see if there are any coffee grounds in it. If you find anything, just clean it with a cloth and it will be good as new.

Anything else that makes it to your keg lid will also prevent the flow, so make sure you are regularly cleaning the keg if you are not getting the desired cascading effect.

Try Agitating the Keg

If you have done everything listed above, perhaps you should try your luck by agitating the keg. See if it makes any difference. To agitate the keg, simply pick it up and shake it up vigorously.

Nothing Works? Don’t Worry

If nothing works for you, it could mean that your keg is not working the way it is meant to be. Save yourself the trouble by eliminating the DIY and grab yourself a nitro brew coffee can instead.